Our Lady of Victories Parish Church
The Basilica of the Nativity of Mary (English Nativity of Our Lady, maltese Ta ' Marija Bambina ) is a church in the Renaissance style in the Maltese port city of Senglea on the island of Malta and is part of the Archdiocese of Malta.
It was on 11 November 1920 by Pope Benedict XV. raised to the basilica.
The victory of the Christians over the besiegers during the first Great Siege at the feast of the birth in 1565 is attributed to the Virgin Mary, so the Church of Mary is ordained birth and understand as a victory monument. The construction of the church was completed in 1580. Presumably they were established under Vittorio Cassar, secured the is not. Just one year after the completion of the church was the parish church in 1581 with its own town. The consecration took place only on 20 October 1743rd On 21 May 1786 the Church by Pope Pius VI was. raised to the collegiate church.
On June 11, 1940, the first air raid on Senglea, in which the church was damaged was done. Another attack on January 16, 1941 destroyed several altars, part of the side aisles and the sacrament 's Oratory. Just three days later, a bomb fell further into the church and demolished the nave, whereupon the Virgin Mary and the Christ the Redeemer statue was outsourced to Birkirkara. The final destruction of the church took place in April 1942, when a bomb detonated on the gallery. All pilasters, the Blessed Sacrament Chapel, the Oratory and the apse were destroyed. Shortly after the church was built in 1946 under Giuseppe Caruana and Giuseppe Sammut again, but crashed during the reconstruction work the façade, so that it had to be rebuilt. The designs for the reconstruction comes from Vincenzo Bonello. On August 24, 1956, the Church of Mgr Gonzi Michele was rededicated, with thousands of Maltese who traveled from across the country, were present. One day after the re- consecration of the statue of Mary from Birkirkara was able to return birth to the Basilica of Mary.
The main attraction of the basilica, a wooden statue of Mary, known as Il - Bambina, 1618 was carved, painted and gilded in 1631. The creator of this statue is unknown. After the coronation of the statue of Mary in 1921, the church was the sanctuary. It is the only winning statue on Malta. The crown contains diamonds and other precious stones. Around the statue are four silver angels who were created in 1934. 1956 was another existing marble statue of Mary, which was consecrated in 1956, situated. All marble works come from the Italian Tuscany, the stucco work by Vincenzo Apap from Malta. Are the four arms of Pope Benedict XV. , Archbishop Mauro Caruana, the pin Senglea and the Grand Master La Sengle on the ceiling. The bars indicate 16 saints who are in relationship with Maria: four evangelists, four popes, four Doctors of the Church and the four founders of Christian orders. Furthermore, the church houses seven bells.